Machine for paying out and delivering parallel lengths of thread



Oct, 26, 1954 R. w. PoLLEY 2,692,535

MACHINE FOR PAYING OUT AND DELIVERING PARALLEL LENGTHS OF THREAD Filed Nov. 21, 1952 4Sheets-Sheet l Re Q QJ 4 u) n, o q "H I9 Il! Q M l I I I M l $2 l l 'l l s; Q [u l '11i A V I n l I I W M N 1B S :L ,q i *2 A :E Q I 1| l, IU

f D ik l 'En L Mr d' N m l c I 0 N Q HI FB M gg* Invezau: RoerfWPoZZey, y 'fw/7 zal Oct. 26, 1954 R Ey 2,692,635

W. POLL MACHINE FOR PAYING OUT AND DELIVERING PARALLEL LENGTHS OF THREAD Filed Nov. 21, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ct 26, i954 R. w. POLLEY MACHINE FOR PAYING OUT AND DELIVERING PARALLEL LENGTHS OF THREAD 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 2l. 1952 Oct. 26, 1954 R. W. POLLEY MACHINE FOR PAYING OUT AND DELIVE RING PARALLEL LENGTHS OF' THREAD 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fi'led NOV. 21, 1952 llnnll :Il iii .1.28. d

Patented Oct. 26, 1954 `MACHINE FOR PAYING O-UT AND DELIVER.- ING PARALLEL LEN GTI-IS OF THREAD Robert -W. Polley, Nashua, N. H., assignor to Nashua Corporation, Nashua, N. H., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 21, 1952, Serial No. 321,823

16 Claims. ll

This invention relates to a thread supplying machine which is adapted to pay out lengths of threads from bobbins or similar supply source and deliver them in succession extended-parallel one to another. Such amachine-finds a primary application for applying to a paper web reinforcing threads transverse to the length of lthe web, and in fact accurately perpendicular thereto. In turn such reinforced paper, particularly when no longitudinal strands are also applied,-may be slit in suitable widths to provide stays for box corners such as are illustrated, for example, in thev patent to Angier 1,195,430.

The reinforcement of paperrwith textile strands or wires is well known, the reinforcement being either adhered to one surface ofthe paper or between two layers adhesively united. Running in strands longitudinally to the web presents no difficulty. The application of strands transversely to the length, however, is another matter. While various machines for this purpose have been proposed and are illustrated in the prior art, none, so far as known, have been successful,and in general the art has resorted to unsatisfactory compromises wherein the strands extend diagonally at a greater or less angle. More frequently the difficulty is recognized andtwo sets of strands are applied at a relatively great angleto forma diamond pattern.

In accordance with the present invention a machine operating by rotation of the parts, and hence capable of high speeds, is provided for and one which is certain and accurate in its operation. Superlicially the machine here illustrated resembles that disclosed in the patent to'Stevens 1,014,916, January 16, 1912, but it embodies a radically diierent arrangement of parts towhich is due its certainty of action and its high possible speed.

The invention will be well understood by reference to the following description of an illustrative machine for making a transversely reinforced paper web taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the essential elements of the machine with parts broken'away. Purely formal elements relating to the frameworkand the drive are omitted for the sake of simplicity;

Fig. la is a fragmentary view corresponding to an adjacent portion of Fig. l butwith the parts in a dilferent position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating the transfer of strands to a paper web v'to provide a product diagrammatically shown in Fig. Y 13;

2 Fig. 3 is a diagram providing for an analysis of the mechanical correlation of principal-parts v of the machine;

Figs. -4-8 inclusivev are fragmentary views illustrating successive positions of a thread dispensing head anda thread pickup head forming portions of the'machine, parts being omitted;

Fig. 9 is an yenlarged view -similar to Fig.- 4, with parts in section;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view of the portion of Fig. 9 immediately above the same as seen from below, the parts being in another position of adjustment (parts at the left are broken away) Fig. 11 is a fragmentary section on the line II-lI-of Fig. 10;

Fig. 1'2 is a view of the portion of Fig. 9 which is immediately above the same as seen from below with the parts in a different position of adjustment; and

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic view ofpaper reinforced with transverse strands.

Referring now to Fig. lof the drawings, the machine there shown comprises two rotary discs IBR at the right and IBL at theleft, .disposed in planes at right angles to each other. They are `supported by shafts 20 driven-by the bevel gear couples 22 from a drive shaft 24, driven from a suitable source of powerthrough the drive wheel 26. Outwardly of the 4discs creels 28R and 28L are carried by the shafts to support bobbins of thread-30. Essentially these creelsare a part of the discs and move in unison with them. The paying out of the thread from the bobbins and their control to prevent spinning may be eii'ected by any suitable means such as those usual in the .textile art and not shown.

On the right-hand disc IBR are arranged suitable paying-out or delivery mechanisms-D which I will hereinafter call heads, and the detailed construction and operation of which will be hereinafter explained. On the left-hand disc ISL are thread picking-up mechanisms P, which similarly are termed heads. Herein is illustrated four heads D'on the dise ISR. and four heads P in similar positions'on the disc ISL so that at the upper part vofthe gure a head on one disc is presented closely adjacent one on the other in the plane of the paper viewing the drawing. It will be convenient to call this the position of conjunction. I have also (partly broken away) indicated four picking-upheads P 'at intermediate points on the right-hand disc IGR and delivery heads D opposite them on the left-hand disc I EL. This provides in the case'of a machine drawing vthreads from a multiplicity of bobbins for supporting half the bobbins on one creel and half on the other, but this construction is not essential. The number of heads will usually be more, but the drawing is simplified by showing only a few. The following description considers only the heads D on IBR and the cooperating heads P on IBL ignoring the others. These others are shown broken away to avoid confusion in the part of the description immediately following. The heads D on KGL may be considered as not threaded up from the adjacent bobbins.

Now if the head D, carrying the end portion of a thread from one of the bobbins 30 in the position T-l is in conjunction with the head P, as shown at the upper part of Fig. l, if the head P takes hold of the end portion of the thread, then, as the discs rotate and these heads diverge, the thread will be drawn out and after a travel of 90 the thread will take the position T-Z because of the diverging of the heads. After the travel continues through another 90 the heads reach the position of opposition shown at the bottom of the figure, wherein the distance between them is at a maximum. The thread has been still further drawn out and may there be freed from the heads and disposed of, as by securing it to the paper web w. The words conjunction, indicating the positions of closest approach of the heads, and opposition, indicating the positions of greatest separation, are chosen by analogy to the usage of those words in astronomy. Successive threads may be drawn out and disposed in parallel relation one after the other in this manner.

While the description so far given could not be read literally on the machine illustrated in the patent to Stevens above referred to, it could serve as a description of a machine having a construction and method of operation not essentially different from those of the patent, except that in Stevens the strands are supplied from one side of the machine only. However, in the machine illustrated the arrangement of the parts is radically different, and it is believed that this may be much more easily apprehended through i the diagram in Fig. 3 and the analogy to bevel gears, the construction of which is familiar to everyone. However, before proceeding to Fig. 3, I may first refer to Fig. 1 and say that the delivery head D comprises a guide 32, through which the thread T is led from the bobbin 30, and a set of gripping jaws for temporarily holding the thread end including a fixed jaw 34, and that the pickup head P comprises a set of jaws including a xed jaw 36 which jaws grasp the thread between the guide 32 and the jaw 34 and carry it away, pulling the end away from jaw 34 as the two heads diverge and drawing the thread out through the guide 32 through the position T-2 to that of T-3.

Referring now to Fig. 3 we may take abd and bfgc to represent segments of two cones having a common vertex C and rolling on one another, their axes corresponding to the center lines of the shafts in the physical machine. They may be compared to the pitch cones of two bevel gears. The actual bodies of such gears would be hkmn and oprs, representing the root cones from which the teeth project and the teeth would extend to crest cones past the pitch cones, the common element of which latter is bf.

Parts 32, 34 and 36 as already described are based on the root cones and extend slightly past the pitch cones just as the teeth of a bevel gear extend beyond the pitch cone to a crest cone. The analogy of the diagram to bevel gears should not be pushed too far, for while the parts 32, 34 and 36 occupy the space of the teeth, they are not offset circumferentially, as are the meshed teeth but, on the contrary, the parts 32 and 34 on the one hand and 36 on the other, are in the same radial plane in which lies the line of contact at bf as they pass it. However, they do not interfere because the guide element 32 is on a circle, which is a section of the cone, of relatively great diameter, the picking-up jaw 36 on the other cone on a circle of smaller diameter, and the holding jaw 34 on the iirst cone on a circle of still smaller diameter, so that the three are spaced along the line bf in the diagram, and 36 passes between 32 and 34 as the cones rotate. On rotation toward the reader and downwardly viewing Fig. 3, after the parts at the top of that figure have moved 180 to the bottom of the gure, the parts 32 and 34 are brought into alignment with part 36 along the line a-c.

In Fig. 3 there is indicated by dotted lines the discs IBL and 16B, and two of the heads D and P and, while the actual physical construction of the parts for obvious reasons is very diierent and does not suggest at once the idea of rolling cones and of elements located on circles of different diameters corresponding to sections of these cones, it is clear that the essential movements of the parts 32, 34 and 36 are as above described.

Referring now to Figs. 4-8, the handling of the threads will be more fully explained. The thread in the position T-I is led from the bobbin through guide 32 on head D and its end secured against the xed jaw 34, by means of a movable jaw 38 which may be seen in Fig. 5. The extended portion of the thread between the guide and the jaws may correspond to the line of contact of the two imaginary rolling cones, bf in Fig. 2, and the ends of guide 32 and jaws 34 and 38 may extend somewhat beyond that line. Cooperating with the iixed jaw 36 on head P is a movable jaw 40, as seen also in Fig. 5. Neither of the movable jaws shows in Fig. 4 because they are behind the fixed jaws in that iigure. As head D moves in a circular path upwardly and forwardly toward the position of Fig. 4, carrying the thread, the head P similarly moves toward it from the other side. As the latter does so the jaws 36, 40 are open and the thread rolls past the open end of the movable jaw 40 toward the rear face, viewing Fig. 4, of the fixed jaw 36, and at the position of conjunction shown in Fig. 4 the jaws of the pickup head close on the length of thread extended in fixed position between the guide 32 and the jaws 34, 38. As the rotation of the discs continues the heads diverge through the position of Fig. 5 and the jaws of the head P pull the end of the thread out from the jaws of head D through the open ends of the latter jaws, which face toward the head P, and the thread now leads through guide 32 to the head P. At the position seen in Fig. 6, the thread has the position T-2 as shown in Fig. l. rIhe heads then pass through the position of Fig. '7 to reach the position of opposition of Fig. 8 after 180 of movement. Besides diverging, the effect of this movement is to rotate the heads bodily through an angle of 90 and, in the position of Fig. 8, 32, 34, and 36 lie on a line corresponding to the position T-3 of the thread. That is, we may say that the thread passing through the position T-2 in Fig. 6 in effect swings about the guide 32 as a center toward the face of the fixed jaw 34 which was presented rearwardly in Fig. 4 but which is turning to be presented forwardly in Fig. 8. It is seen approaching it in Fig. 7. At a suitable time the movable jaw 38 is lifted away from fixed jaw 34 as seen in Fig. '7 to give the thread access to the latter jaw, and then, as the parts reach the position of Fig. 8, the movable jaw 38 is closed. This is the delivery point for the thread.

As is seen in the figures, the jaws 34 and 38 are bifurcated, and in the position of Fig. 8 the thread encounters a rotary cutter 42 which enters the bifurcation and cuts the thread. At the same time the jaws 36, do of the head P are opened and the length of thread is released, being drawn out from between those arms of the bifuroated jaws 34 and 3S which are at the inner side, or toward the left in Fig. 8. jaws however, remain closed and the end of the thread leading from the supply bobbin through guide 32 (the standing part) is held by the right-hand arms of the jaws and remains so secured while it travels back to the position of Fig. 4.

The bifurcation of the jaws provides for supporting the thread at either side of the cutter and ensures its clean and easy severance. It also prevents the adjacent portion of the severed thread from being displaced rearwardly out of its desired direct transverse position. When the threads are adhered at this point to a paper web it has been found that when the thread has contacted the adhesive the adhesion is such that it can, as the web advances and the jaws start to retreat, pull out the very short end remaining grasped by the inner arms without disarranging it, and no extraneous hold-down back support or similar device is required to maintain the position of the severed end. As regards the jaws 36, lo of head P since these must be opened anyway to prepare for grasping the new thread at 'the position of conjunction they are preferably opened at the position of operation to release the end of the thread. To sever it here would merely leave a small snippet of thread to drop which would require disposal.

The timing of the jaws is as follows. jaws 34, 38 of the delivery head D are opened near the delivery point and are closed just about as they reach that point and they may remain closed through the remainder of the revolution. The jaws 3E, 4i) of the picking-up head P are opened at the delivery point to release the thread and may remain open through substantially the next 180 of revolution, or may be permitted to close and be reopened just before they arrive at the position of Fig. 4, and they are closed just as they reach the position of conjunction of Fig. 4, corresponding to the top point of Fig. 1, and remain closed until opened again in the position of opposition of Fig. S or the lowermost point of Fig. 1.

The method of effecting these movements will now be described in connection with a detailed description of the jaw mechanism, having reference more particularly to Figs. 9-12. The elements which operate the jaws are omitted from Figs. i through 8 to simplify those figures. The heads P and D are organized on block-like frames mounted on the discs IGR, and ISL by angular brackets lll in planes radial to the discs and disposing the frames at such angles that the thread The latter The i.

:handling elements will have the proper motions, as already described, in circular paths corresponding .to sections of rolling cylinders. Referring to the delivery head D, as shown at the right of Fig. 9, and in Fig. 12, the guide 32 is a simple wire eye. The xed, bifurcated jaw 34 is secured in xed position at the end of the frame. The movable jaw 38 is suspended from jaw 34by a link 46 and its inner end is connected at pivot 48 to a sliding jaw operating plunger 59, which is adjustably threaded into a guide rod 52. A spring 54, acting on a collar 56 on the plunger, normally tends to thrust the latter toward the left in Figs. 9 and 12 to close the jaw. It will be noted that the motion of the jaw is not a simple pivotal motion as in the case of a pair of pliers, but the jaw also moves linearly toward the right in opening to the position of Fig. 12 besides turning on its pivot 48, thus exposing the face of the xed jaw 34 and permitting the thread to move in freely over the end of jaw 38 against the forwardly presented face of xed jaw 34 as seen in Fig. '7, to be clamped by the movable jaw 38 when it again closes. The guide rod 52 carries a head 58 which is prevented from turning by the sliding guide pin Si) and which carries a cam follower 62 by means of which the guide rod may be drawn to the right in Fig. 9` against the force of spring 54 to cause the jaw to open to the position of Fig. 12. The jaws 34 and 38 are shown as fiat jaws since their only duty is to hold the end of the thread and moreover when, as is here disclosed, there is no rise on the cam to open the jaws just after they have passed the position of conjunction it is desirable that they should not have too strong a grip thereon as in that case the thread is to be drawn out from the same by the jaws of the pickup head P.

The of the pickup head P as seen at the left in Fig. 9 and in Fig. 10 will now be described. The ixed jaw "it` is concaved and the movable jaw @il is a cylindrical element which fits into the concave, thus slightly kinking the thread and securing a better grip thereon. The cylindrical jaw 46 projects from a block 61S carried by lateral arms pivoted to the Xed jaw at 65 and is swung to closed position by the thrust 0f a plunger 58 against the back of this block. The plunger is received within a bore of a plunger carrier le, which latter is adjustably threaded into a guide rod T2 through the rear end of which extends the stem of a cam follower 74, the stem also passing through a guide pin I6 sliding in the frame ofthe head P to prevent turning. The spring 18, bearing on a collar on the plunger carrier, normally tends to thrust the plunger to the right in the iigure, tending to close the jaws. However', the connection is not direct for the plunger 66 is supported within the bore of the plunger carrier 7U by a spring 82 and has a limited motion provided for by the crosspin S4 extending into the slots 65. The movement effected by the spring 'i8 therefore may be more than sumcient to close the jaws, and as theyfmake contact the plunger yields compressing spring S2 providing a xed predetermined spring pressure on the jaws. When the jaws are opened by action exerted through the cam follower "M against the force of spring Iii, the opening of the jaws is eiected by the cross-pin 8? through the plunger, whichcooperates with tails te extending from the arms 65 at either sidefof that plunger and rearwardly of the cross-pin.

The vfollowers E2 and lll-cooperate respectively with cam tracks 90 and 92 on two fixed, disc-like cams SLSR and 94L, concentric with the shafts 20.

When, in addition to the dispensnig heads D on disc IER and pickup heads P on disc ISL, there are, alternating therewith, dispensing heads on disc ISL and pickup heads on disc IER, the cams are each provided with a second cain track 58 and 98 respectively to operate the jaws of these heads. Also, a second cutter BEL must be provided at the left in Fig. 1 and to avoid interference with the heads P on disc ISL, it must be put slightly further out. The heads D on disc IBL must be put slightly further out to correspond, and compensating adjustments made in the positions of the cam followers of the various heads to permit them to cooperate with the second cam tracks 98 and 96 instead of the cam tracks 92 and 90. The movement of a head D on disc IBL into cooperation with cutter liL is shown in Fig. la.

As has already been stated, the machine shown is primarily designed to deposit lengths of thread in successive parallel positions perpendicular to the length of a web of paper. Referring to Figs. l and 2, the web of paper w is there shown as led forward over a coating roll 00 which applies a coating of adhesive thereto and the web is then reversed over the guide roll IZ so that the coated face is uppermost. The jaws of the heads D and P move just outside of the ends of the roll, and at their position of opposition, the extreme position downwardly viewing Fig. 1, the thread in the position T-S in Fig, 1 coincides with the tcp center of the guide roll |92 as seen in Fig. 2. Fig. 13 shows, without dimensional or pictorial exactitude, the product, which might be slit into narrow strips suitable for box stays and which might be combined with other webs in accordance with the usual practices of the reinforced paper art.

I have not attempted to showin Fig. 1 any series of threads previously applied at the overlying portion of the web w, believing that this would simply confuse the figure. In Fig. 13 is shown in a somewhat diagrammatic fashion and without any attempt at pictorial exactitude the web w showing a series of threads extending perpendicular-ly across its length.

The discs carrying the heads may be rotated at a uniform high speed and the spacing of the threads on the web w altered by varying the linear speed of the web. It may be said that the drawings simplified by the omission of parts represent a machine which has been operated under commercial conditions to handle eighty bobbins, forty on each creel, and therefore having eighty sets of heads mounted on discs, IBR and ISL, twenty-eight inches in diameter, corresponding to a pitch circle of the jaws 36, 40 of about thirty-one inches, and revolving at 5G revolutions per minute. These draw out the threads to a severed length of approximately forty-three inches and deposit them on a web spaced about one-quarter inch apart. The possibility of faster operation is not excluded, but has not been attempted and the spacing may be varied by varying the speed of the paper web.

These results may be attributed to various causes: first, the balance of the rotating parts which permits their uniform and steady rotation; second, it will be noted that no attempt is made to seize and grasp an end of the thread. On the contrary, the thread is grasped at two points with a portion extended in fixed position and the jaws 36, l0 and this extended portion of thread move together to the position of conjunction shown in Fig. 1 at the same angular speed along the pitch cones. The extended length of thread rolls in behind the fixed jaw 3G and is grasped by the jaws of the pickup head P without change in speed. The thread is then drawn out and, as is illustrated graphically in Fig. '7, moves -in again against the jaw 34 and is clamped as it comes to the position of Fig. 8. When it is severed by the cutter 4I! the end of the thread remains clamped and the extended length of thread between the right-hand portion of the bifurcated jaws and the guide 32 moves back to the position of Fig. 4 along the pitch lines of the cone without change in its position. This makes for an easy and accurate operation, even at high speeds of rotation.

The diverging motion of the jaws is harmonic and they are moving slowest adjacent the points of conjunction and opposition where the thread is picked up and freed, those points being the dead centres of the harmonic motion. The point of extended portion of the thread which engages jaw 3S at the former point and the engaging line on the surface of the jaw are moving in their orbits at identical speeds and at that point in the identical direction. The thread simply comes to rest against the latter without snap or jar and the movable jaw 4I) closes. In the position of Fig. '7 there is a slight differential in speed between the thread and jaw 34 but it rapidly diminishes and at the position of opposition,

lg. 8, the direction and speeds are the same. The thread similarly comes to rest on jaw 34 and the movable jaw closes on it. The gripping faces of the fixed jaws 34 and 36 face rearwardly to the direction of rotation, From the point of view of the reader of Fig. l this direction is toward the reader at the point of conjunction and away at the point of opposition, the rectilinear direction being reversed. Hence from the point of view of the reader the movable jaws are at the rear at the top of Fig. l or in Fig. 4, but at the front at the bottom of Fig. l or in Fig. 8.

The projecting jaw pairs in the position of opposition may move past the periphery of roll H12 closely adjacent the ends thereof. Very little waste on account of projecting ends is occasioned when the threads are applied to a paper web as shown and no transfer means is required.

A manufacturing tolerance with respect to the theoretical paths of the parts as here expounded is to be expected but substantial departure therefrom would be disadvantageous even although the invention so imperfectly embodied would nevertheless be in contrast with and an improvement over structures of the prior art.

I have used the word thread but it will be understood that I include by this word not only twisted threads or yarns, but monolaments and tapes or bands consisting of yarns or of monoiilaments, and in general any material of relatively small cross-section and great length. In the claims I have used the word head as a specific word more easily correlated with the specific disclosure but it carries no particular connotation and may be considered as a synonym of mechanism or device I. have described the mechanism as applied specifically to the production of reinforced paper and the web w as a web of paper continuous throughout its breadth. The machine could equally apply the threads to a series of spaced longitudinal members analogous to the warp in a loom.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specic forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and l therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, as is in fact clear in several matters from the description itself. Reference is to be had to the appended claims to indicate those principles of the invention exemplified by the particular embodiment described and which I desire to secure by Letters Patent.

I claim:

l. .e machine of the character described comprising two rotating members rotating at the speed about intersecting axes, one having a thread delivery head and the other a thread pickup head which move through positions of conjunction and opposition as the members rotate, the delivery head including a thread guide and thread-end holder at different radial distances from the center and the pickup head including a thread gripper at an intermediate ice from the center, said parts respectively bf ig located position corresponding to the b cones of two cones rolling on one another about the axes whereby the gripper passes bethe holder and guide of the delivery head e position of conjunction and the three are ned in position of opposition, means for ating the gripper as it comes to the position or conjunction to cause it to lay hold of the th ad, means for operating the holder as it to the position of opposition to cause it to i "e hold of the thread there, means to release tn L` ad end from the gripper at the position of en and means for cutting off the drawn out length of thread adjacent the holder to release the same without release from the holder of the severed end pertaining to the standing part.

2. A machine of the character described comprising two rotating members rotating at the same speed about intersecting axes one having thread delivery head and the other a thread pickup head which move through positions of conjunction and opposition as the members rotate, the delivery head including a thread guide and thread-holding jaws at different radial distances from the center and the pickup head including thread-pickup jaws at an intermediate distance from the center, said parts respectively being located in positions corresponding to the pitch cones of two cones rolling on one another about the axes whereby the jaws of the pickup head pass between the jaws and guide of the delivery head in the position of conjunction and the three are aligned in the position of opposition, means for closing the pickup jaws as they come to the position of conjunction, means for rst opening and then closing the holding jaws as they come to the position of opposition, means to release the thread end from the pickup jaws at the position of opposition and means for cutting off the drawn out length of thread adjacent the holding jaws to release the same without release from the closed jaws of the severed end pertaining to the standing part.

3. A machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein the pickup jaws are shaped to kink the thread and the holding jaws having relatively flat faces.

4. A machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein the jaw pairs comprise fixed jaws the engaging faces of which face rearwardly of the direction of rotation and movable jaws to close against them.

5. A machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein the holding jaws comprise a jaw the engaging 10 face of which faces rearwardly of the direction of rotation and a second jaw which moves toward it.

6. A machine as set forth in claim 5 wherein the second jaw moves against the rst by a combined movement of approach transverse thereto with a linear movement toward the end thereof.

7. A machine as set forth in claim 5 wherein the second jaw moves against the rst by a combined swinging movement about an axis parallel thereto with a linear movement toward the end thereof.

8. A machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein the holding jaw is bifurcated and the cutter operates in the space between the arms.

9. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein there are both delivery heads and pickup heads on each member positioned so that those of one kind on one member cooperate with those of the other kind on the other.

l0. A machine as setforth in claim 1 wherein there are a series of delivery heads angularly spaced about one member and pickup heads between them and pickup and delivery heads are respectively correspondingly angularly spaced on the other member to cooperate therewith.

11. A machine of the class described comprising a thread-delivery head including a thread end holder'and a thread guide a short distance therefrom through which a thread is led to the holder, a thread pickup head including a pickup device, means to move the latter head between a position of conjunction and a position of opposition relative to the former head and in its movement through the former position carrying the pickup device between the guide and the holder in a path transverse to the extended thread between them to take hold of the thread and carry its end away from the holder and to draw it out through the guide, means for moving the delivery head to bring the holder into alignment with and between the guide and the pickup device when the parts are in opposition, means controlling the holder to cause it to take hold of the thread in the position of opposition and means for then cutting oi the drawn out length of thread adjacent the holder at a point which leaves that severed end of the thread which pertains to the standing part held by the holder.

12. A machine of the class described comprising a thread-delivery head including a thread end holder and a thread guide a short distance therefrom through which a thread is led to the holder, a thread pickup head including a pickup device, means to move the latter head in a circular path between a position of conjunction and a position of opposition relative to the former head and in its movement through the former position carrying the pickup device between the guide and the holder in a path transverse to the extended thread between them to take hold of the thread and carry its end away from the holder and to draw it out through the guide, means for moving the delivery head in a circular path in a plane forming a dihedral angle with the plane containing the path of the other head to bring the holder into alignment with and between the guide and the pickup device when the parts are in opposition, means controlling the holder to cause it to take hold of the thread in the position of opposition and means for then cutting ofi the drawn out length of thread adjacent the holder at a point which leaves that severed end of the thread which pertains to the standing part held by the holder.

13. For a machine of the character described a delivery head comprising a body, a thread guide projecting therefrom, thread holding jaws spaced therefrom and having thread engaging faces which close against one another in line with the guide and means for operating one of the jaws operably connected thereto comprising an actuating rod slidable in the body and carrying a follower for cooperation with a cam.

14. For a machine of the character described a delivery head comprising a body, a thread guide projecting therefrom, thread holding jawsspaced therefrom and comprising a fixed jaw having a thread engaging face in line with the guide, a movable jaw for closing against that face mounted for a compound movement comprising a swinging movement toward the face and an outward movement into alignment with the face and means operably connected to the jaw for operating the same comprising an actuating rod slidable in the body and carrying a follower for cooperation with a cam.

15. For a machine of the character described a delivery head comprising a body, a thread guide projecting therefrom, thread holding jaws spaced therefrom and having thread engaging faces which close against one another in line with the guide and means for operating one of the jaws operably connected thereto comprising an actuating rod slidable in the body and carrying a follower for cooperation with a cam, the jaws being bifurcated to provide for entry of a severing instrument to the portion of thread held thereby.

16. For a machine of the character described a pickup head comprising a body a pair of jaws projecting therefrom comprising a xed jaw, a movable jaw closing against the same and means for operating the jaw comprising a thrust rod slidable in the body with one end presented to the jaw and the other carrying a follower for cooperation, the rod comprising spring-separated telescoping parts whereby the jaw may be closed under a determined spring pressure the rod having a connection with the jaw providing for retraction of the latter to open position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,014,916 Stevens Jan. 16, 1912 1,211,852 Howard Jan. 9, 1917 1,318,150 Howard Oct. 7, 1919 1,383,243 Schwartz June 8, 1921 2,575,666 Knudsen Nov. 20, 1951 2,614,054 Baisch et al Oct. 14, 1952 

